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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — of ice
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. capital — a city
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com